


Fooling Yourself Will Enslave You

by DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Day drinking, F/F, Flirting, Mostly PP3 Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 07:49:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22492573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep/pseuds/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep
Summary: Beca finds herself in a bar after Theo and Khaled give her the opportunity of a lifetime. She was hoping to have some time to herself, but the universe seems to have other idea. Then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Kudos: 27





	Fooling Yourself Will Enslave You

**Author's Note:**

> Not my IP, all my mistakes, same stuff, different day. Just a stupid little scene that popped into my head while I was driving the other day. Mature for language. 
> 
> _“The truth may hurt, but fooling yourself will enslave you.”_  
>  Charles F. Glassman

Beca tips the cut crystal rocks glass to her lips, relishing the earthy smoked taste of the scotch. The glass finds its way back to the bar top and Beca allows herself a short chuckle as she reflects that even the glasses in Khaled's hotels are some of the nicest amenities she's ever seen. She shakes her head at the thought, guessing that it makes sense. She can't believe she's here, in this ridiculously swanky bar, drinking a thirty dollar glass of whiskey before noon, Theo and Khaled having just asked her to tour with them. Her was the operative word there, not them. Not the Bellas, most of whom had joined this stupid USO tour hoping for a shot that was never going to happen, just Beca. It had been bad enough playing along with this fool's errand - really, just another one of countless bad ideas that she'd blindly signed on to because Chloe batted her frickin' eyelashes - but knowing that she was the reason that the Bella's pipe dream was a bust - that was more than Beca could stand. 

She noticed someone sitting down near her in her peripheral but ignored it. The last thing she needed was some randy spaniard thinking he had a chance with her, so she decided to pretend that her drink might hold the secret to world peace or the meaning of life or something. It was easy enough, she was so lost in her head it was entirely plausible that she wouldn't notice if a celebrity walked in and started dueling with a paparazzo. 

"Kinda early for drinks." the voice on her left said, and Beca pinched her eyes shut in disbelief. It was a woman's voice, gravelly and warm. A voice that Beca recognized. _Perfect. Just perfect, of course this would happen._

Beca looked up at Calamity, the woman's smug smile already making Beca grit her teeth. She couldn't pretend to be surprised, it was obvious that the universe would send Calamity into this bar just so she could say something catty to Beca, it was absolutely the sort of shit that happened to her. If karma was a thing Beca must have been a real bitch in one of her past lives to deserve this.

Beca's eyes took Calamity in, and the woman next to her struck quite an image. Long legs turning into all the right kinds of curves, a crescent of flawless bronze skin peeking out from under her shirt that hinted at the flat plane of her stomach, gorgeous chiseled collarbones framing a graceful neck, and her delicately featured face - dark and mischievous. Beca hadn't missed Calamity's beauty when they first met, and it was impossible to deny today. Beca quickly decided that sarcasm would be her best defense here. That used to be Beca's only setting, and damn if it wasn't dialed up to 11 through her younger years, right up until she joined the Bellas. Not that she was any less sarcastic with them, God no. The girls, however overbearing, insane, and loud they were, had worn through her walls and hard edges though. Especially Chloe with her complete unfamiliarity with boundaries.These days Beca was downright well adjusted; on a good day she could even admit that she had feelings, but none of those aspects of personal growth were going to help here, so cutting and distant was the name of the game. _Hello darkness, my old friend._

"What, a girl can't be a high functioning alcoholic?" Beca quipped, tilting her glass in Calamity's direction for emphasis. _Oh yeah, Beca, burn_ Calamity eyed Beca up and down like a dog taking in a cut of veal, then threw her head back and laughed. It's throaty and sensual, and between her voice and how blatantly she was checking Beca out, the brunette couldn't help but think how sexy the sound was. It's like a flashback to Kommisar all over again, which only serves to reinforce Beca's irritation. 

"Sorry honey, but you don't seem the type." the slender woman said after her laughter faded, shaking her head. She flagged the bartender with a gesture and ordered two of the whiskeys that Beca was drinking. The bartender stepped away to grab the bottle and Calamity returned her gaze back to Beca. "I'll make you a deal hon, just for today. I won't bullshit you, and you don't bullshit me. Sound fair?"

Beca tried to keep her expression impassive as she studied the other woman's face, hoping to read something from her features, Beca's mind puzzled over Calamity's request. Beca's only guess was that the frontwoman had heard about her meeting with Theo and Khaled and either knew that the Bellas hadn't been picked, or at least guessed as much. At length Beca gave a tiny nod of her head while she looked down and fidgeted her finger. 

"So words out already, huh? Come to gloat that the Bellas didn't get picked by Khaled?" the shorter brunette asked, watching Calamity's face for a hint of surprise and seeing none. Instead the the tattooed beauty looked a bit more serious. The bartender set one glass in front of Calamity and she motioned for him to leave the other with Beca. The short haired woman picked her drink up and took a sip even as Beca ignored hers. 

"No," Calamity said, "I didn't come to gloat. And you aren't sitting in a swanky bar because you're pissed that the Bellas didn't get picked." Beca's eyebrows narrowed skeptically, even though Calamity looked and sounded sincere, saying nothing. Calamity took a short pull from her glass and swallowed. Beca knew that it must burn, but Calamity kept a stoick face.

"Why don't you think I'm pissed we didn't get picked?" Beca asked, playing Calamity's game, curious how Calamity knew she wasn't upset.

"You're not pissed because you knew the Bellas were never going to get picked." The singer held Beca's gaze fearlessly. "You're here fired up and drinking because Khaled picked you." Beca couldn't quite disguise her surprise that Calamity had guessed that, or perhaps she knew somehow, and the shorter woman knew her reaction was as good as admitting it. Beca remembered Calamity's deal and sighed. So much for the comfortable familiarity of sarcasm Beca thought. Maybe a little honesty would be nice.

"How do you know I got picked?" 

"I know you got picked because there was no competition." Calamity laughed, an edge of bitterness tinting the otherwise sad sound.

"There hasn't been since you guys showed up and Theo heard you sing. As soon as your voice is there it's the only thing he notices"

Beca scowled and waved her hand dismissively.

"That's just because he's been eye fucking me the entire tour." Beca wasn't sure she believed her own words, but she definitely wasn't ready to believe anything else. She could already see Calamity shaking her head with a bitter chuckle.

"He was looking at you and trying to figure how many fucking commas would go in your record sales, that's all." the older woman said, glaring at Beca, looking a little disappointed at her.

Beca shrugged, and allowed herself a small sigh. "It doesn't matter," she said, "I told him I didn't want to perform. And even if I did, the Bellas are my family, I'm not going to just turn my back on them." 

_That's the truth._ Beca thought to herself. So why did she feel like she had just reneged on the deal Calamity had offered her?

Calamity's hummed her acknowledgement, her head nodding thoughtfully. 

"Family's important." Beca watched Calamity, still unsure how to handle the sincerity she found in the beautiful woman's voice.

"You know, all the shit talking and catty bullshit - that's just cause my girls couldn't stand the idea of losing to a bunch of amateurs singing someone else's songs. I don't buy that that's who you are though.. Anyone can hear it. Khaled and Theo can, and so can I." 

Beca looked at Calamity, completely unable to speak. Before she could respond, Calamity sighed and turned on her stool to face Beca. 

"I don't understand you Beca, it's like you've been hiding behind those girls because you're scared to be who you are." Calamity said, her voice lower.

Beca didn't answer for a long while, trying to think through what saw's feeling. She thinks about how little she has waiting for her at home, how miserable she had felt doing the job she had worked for and dreamt about as long as she could remember. Finally, she says, "I guess I just - I feel like I owe the Bellas everything." Beca looks up, her eyes pinched and nervous, but Calamity somehow looks reassuring. "They were the ones who helped me and stood behind me when I didn't even know who I was. I know you and Theo are right, but I don't know what to do. I'm scared of hurting them."

Calamity nods and lets out a deep breath as she looks at Beca. She inches closer and puts her hand on Beca's wrist. Beca's cheeks burn as she feels the heat from Calamity's touch, almost like its radiating up her arm and into her. Her stomach flips, and she couldn't have pried her eyes away from Calamity's if it was the only thing that could have saved her life. Beca's head spun as she tried to reconcile how she was feeling about this woman.

"You don't have to take the offer, you can do whatever you want Beca." Calamity says finally, breaking the silence that had stood between them after Beca's admission. "Just remember that everybody needs to learn to stand on their own some day. Even the Bellas. And if you're really a family they won't be hurt by you taking your shot." 

Beca studied the other woman's green eyes, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Beca was terrified that she has allowed herself to be so vulnerable with this woman who she barely knew, but she couldn't help to admit to herself that it felt right. Calamity pulled her hand back to herself and Beca stared at her own wrist, her heart tightening at the loss of the touch. Without another word Calamity stood, bolting the last half of her drink with a wince. She turned as if to leave but ducked her head low at the last second, bringing her lips along Beca's ear.

"And Theo wasn't the one eye fucking you," Calamity's voice once again husky and arrogant, "I was." 

Beca's eyes fluttered as she felt Calamity's breath, hot and gentle, brush her ear, and she blinked rapidly, willing herself out of stupor that the gorgeous woman beside her had left her in. Calamity stood again and walked away, her hips swaying far too noticeably for Beca to pretend it was her natural walk and the idea that she was putting on a show for Beca did something primal to the pale brunette. Finally Calamity glanced over her shoulder, a playful grin on her lips, and as if Beca wasn't utterly broken already, the taller woman blew her kiss as she turned around the corner toward the lobby. Beca sat, staring at the space left empty by the front woman, and realized that she was smiling. Maybe drinking in a stupidly posh bar before noon wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
